SCAA Offers Job Opportunities in Sustainability and Communications

The Specialty Coffee Association of America staff is a small but mighty force of workers who support a diverse and vibrant community of coffee professionals. SCAA membership is growing, event and education offerings are multiplying, and the need for an organization committed to supporting the growth of the specialty coffee industry has become sharply evident in recent years as the industry faces unprecedented challenges such as climate change and plant diseases. With this growth comes the need to hire staff members to help sustain these activities. To that end, SCAA has opened up a couple of positions that may be of interest to members of the coffee community.

The first of these is the position of Director of Sustainability, which will report to the Chief of Staff. This is a very exciting new position that will increase SCAA’s ability to ensure the continued growth and sustainability of specialty coffee. The primary role of the Director will be to coalesce the sustainability related interests, concerns and opportunities of SCAA’s varied stakeholders in the coffee value chain, and provide a clear voice and guidance for the association and its members. This person will be consistently aware of and informed about the most pressing issues in the value chain, setting priorities and aligning and engaging resources to move the industry forward towards solutions on a broad front. SCAA is asking for five or more years of experience in coffee or other agricultural industry, and two or more years of sustainability experience. Spanish fluency would be a great quality to have, as well as a desire to travel internationally, as this will be a large component of the position.

The second position that is currently available is a Communications Coordinator role, which will support SCAA’s Content & Communications Manager. This will start out as a part-time hourly position (30 hours per week), but it is a great way to get your foot in the door to the world of marketing and communications. If you love coffee and have a passion for social media, marketing, and content development, this may be just the place to start! A degree in communications or journalism would be ideal for this position.

The CC will be responsible for sourcing and developing content, and coordinating the distribution of information through various channels. This person will also assist with the communications and marketing launch around a new international event. This position will also require social media engagement, creation of email promotions, list management, daily administrative and organizational support, and involvement in additional department projects as needed. Most importantly, this person will have a great, positive attitude and desire to learn about coffee and the community that works in this industry.